Virulence repertoire, characterization, and antibiotic resistance pattern analysis of Escherichia coli isolated from backyard layers and their environment in India.

This study was undertaken to observe the prevalence, serogroup, avian pathogenic Escherichia coli (APEC)-associated virulence gene, randomly amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) pattern, and antibiotic resistance genes of E. coli in backyard layers and their environment in India. From the 360 samples of healthy layers and their environment, 272 (75.5%) E. coli were isolated. The majority (28.67%) of them were untypeable. Among the studied virulence genes (papC, tsh, iucC, astA), 52 (14.32%) isolates were found to possess astA, including the isolates from the drinking water of the birds (4/272, 1.47%). These strains belonged to 18 different serogroups. Most of the isolates were typeable by RAPD and they produced different patterns. Phenotypic resistance of the isolates was most frequently observed to erythromycin (95.83%), chloramphenicol (87.52%), and cotrimoxazole (78.26%). None of the isolates was found to possess extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (bla(TEM), bla(SHV), bla(CTX-M) or quinolone resistance (qnrA) genes by PCR. The present study was the first attempt in India to assess APEC distribution in backyard poultry production.

Awareness on psychosomatic health among adolescent girls of three schools in north Kolkata.

INTRODUCTION: Psychosomatic health of adolescent girls at crossroads of childhood and mature adulthood, may lead to various health problems in future. OBJECTIVE: To determine the improvement in the knowledge and attitude on health among adolescent girl students of Kolkata after the health education intervention. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This 'Health Education Intervention Study' was conducted in October and November 2006, in three senior secondary schools of North Kolkata. The Simple Random Sampling Technique was applied to select three schools from the spot map of North Kolkata for this study, and 282 girl students in the adolescent age group of 13 to 19 years were selected from the completed updated list of students from the enrollment registers in these schools. RESULTS: The mean age of the participants was 15.7 years (±1.8 years). This health education intervention showed a significant improvement in their knowledge on adolescent health, in the aspects of sex differences in pubertal spurts, probable causes of health problems during adolescence, physical changes in adolescent boys and girls, and psychological problems of adolescence. A significant improvement in positive attitude was observed, with regard to their opinion on substance abuse in the adolescent period and importance of sex education for adolescents. CONCLUSION: This study revealed some unknown parts of psychosomatic health among adolescent girls, in this part of India.

Client satisfaction on maternal and child health services in rural bengal.

BACKGROUND: Services are being provided by health functionaries to the community with the objective of fulfilling their satisfaction but sometimes this is not working for the target population. OBJECTIVES: The study was conducted to assess the satisfaction of clients' receiving maternal and child health services and to elicit clients' suggestion for improving the services. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Anexit interview was employed to collect data using a predesigned and pretested schedule. RESULTS: Most of the populations were adult clients. In respect of satisfaction, responses of the clients were either satisfactory (54.31%) or good (23.56%) on maternal and child health services; 'poor or very poor around 20% and it was significantly worse in respect of satisfaction'. Most of the clients (63.06 to 73.94%) expressed their responses as satisfactory and good regarding the assessment of doctors and it was significant. Most of them (73.31%) expressed satisfactory "response" on the quality of services given by nursing staffs. Suggestions of clients for improving the level of satisfactionwere sought and in this respect, response was little. CONCLUSIONS: Mostly satisfactory observations on maternal and child health services were found in respect of clients' satisfaction and there was scope to improve the quality and quantity of services, and accordingly actions may be taken in the working field.